David L. Moore wrote:> Among the papyri one finds reference to the practice under>discussion. In one marriage contract from 92 B.C., written in Greek,>keeping a boy (MHDE PALLAKHN MHDE PAIDIKON EXEIN, MHDE TEKNOPOIEISQAI EC>ALLHS GUNAIKOS) is classed, along with concubinage and having children by>another woman as a breaking of the marriage contract (_Select Papyri_, A. S.>Hunt and C. C. Edgar, eds., [Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard, 1932] vol. 1, 2:19,>20).

(Thank you David, for bringing us back to Greek. ;-)

A useful reference here, again, is Dover (pp15-17) where he discusses the
use of <paidika> in the sense of "eromenos", i.e. as "youth/lover" (i.e. as
distinct from "boy/child") in these contexts.

> The New Testament, of course, taking pointers from the Old Testament>in its attitude toward aberrant sexual behavior, treats the practice of>homosexuality as sin.

True (certainly, pace Bernadette Brooten, male homosexuality), but I think
the topic under discussion was how did the Greeks viewed such things.